Staff Report
The Lobo volleyball team took down cellar-dwellers Air Force on Friday night at Johnson Center.
UNM (8-15, 2-12 in the Mountain West Conference) swept the visiting Falcons (4-18, 0-12 MWC) in three games, 30-20, 30-20 and 30-27.
The story of the night was junior Chelsea Sondrup and her six blocks. Those six blocks catapulted her into fourth place in Lobo history for blocking with 302.
Freshman middle blocker Samie Weber recorded a match-high attack percentage of .353 and also put down 10 kills and seven blocks. Weber is the team leader in blocks with 107 and block assists with 103. She is now fourth in the UNM record books in block assists for a single season.
The Lobos had two other players who hit .300 for the match. Sophomore Jennifer Heasty had a .316 attack percentage with two blocks as well. Sondrup chipped in with a .300 attack percentage and six kills.
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UNM led the battle at the frontlines, recording 14 team blocks to Air Force's six. Setter Monica Meihack was all over the net, registering a career-high six blocks to add to her nine digs and a match-high 32 assists. Nicole Ryan put up three blocks, while Kelly Therkelsen had nine kills and four blocks.
The Lobos' defense held up its end of the bargain, keeping the Falcons at a miniscule .031 attack percentage for the match.
The Lobos also brought their shovels to the match, out-digging Air Force, 53-36. Senior Adah Burke led the way for the Lobos with a match-high 13.
UNM's stifling defense kept Air Force to a negative attack percentage in the first game (-.069) while coasting to a 30-20 win in front of the home crowd. After a close beginning in which the Lobos grabbed a lead at 6-5, UNM went on a run to cruise to victory.
The second game played out like the first, with UNM tying the game at 1-1 and never looking back as they led the rest of the way.
The Lobos shouldered more of a challenge from the Falcons in Game 3. With Air Force leading 27-26, UNM took over the game, scoring three straight points off blocks. After the Falcons tried to quell the Lobos' momentum with a timeout, Heasty finished Air Force's hopes with her ninth kill of the match.
UNM came back for a taste of action on Saturday. It was a battle of past versus present, as the Lobos took on an alumni team. The Lobos of the past were Blaire Burns, Staci Masten, Marlo Pennington Maxson, Anna Reines, Ingrid Roosild, Karen Saavedra-Warnock and Vanessa Shields.
UNM took the first game handily, winning 30-16, but the feisty Lobos of the past came back in the second game with a win that went down to the wire, 34-32. With the Lobos' chances of a sweep gone, they came back in the third game to win 30-22. UNM closed out the match with a 30-14 win in Game 4.
UNM stays home to take on UNLV on Thursday at 7 p.m. The last home match of the season is set for Sunday against San Diego State at 1 p.m.
